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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24808651">Woven Threads</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuskFM/pseuds/TuskFM'>TuskFM</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fashion &amp; Models, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dates, Established Polyamorous Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fashion Designer Steve Rogers, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Interviews, M/M, Model Bucky Barnes, News Media, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Paparazzi, Photographer Sam Wilson, Polyamorous relationship, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Social Media, War Veteran Sam Wilson, coming out as polyamorous, sort of? they mess with the press so it count as pretending right, the couture au i always wanted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:41:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24808651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuskFM/pseuds/TuskFM</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, apparently you’re cheating on Bucky with me, how cool is that? I'm the next celebrity homewrecker.” Sam walks in the house with a bag of pastries and a big grin on his face.</p><p>“You’ve seen it?” Steve asks as Bucky tries to not hyperventilate.<br/>-<br/>Sam, Bucky and Steve are living the dream romance together. That is, until a picture of them leaks online and reveals their involvement. Well, the involvement of only two of them. It is unfortunate. But they can have fun with it, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>214</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Woven Threads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi, I just had an awful week IRL, bad news followed by bad news so this is my way to cope, cute stuff and All Cap shenanigans.</p><p>I know that in the comics they’re all pretty much the same when it comes to danger, but I found it way funnier to stick the mcu dynamics where Sam is just as bad as Steve and Bucky follows them everywhere because if he doesn’t who will? I need Steve starting shit, Sam gladly following and Bucky reluctantly ending them okay. Give me tired sidekick Bucky.</p><p>This is a porn free fic, but there’s many implied sex scene (I’m too coward to actually write them).</p><p>Also, welcome to that world where homophobia is close to nonexistent and coming out as poly wouldn’t ruin anyone’s carrier. Here, have a seat and enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It doesn’t happen the way they expected it to, but then again, when does anything happens the way they expect it to? But it’s more fun that way, so it’s not so bad.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p> </p><p>Red carpets are always erratic. Everything happens at the same time. There’s load of celebrities all there to show off and promotes their brand and their products, every dresses, shoes and suits are ads and people rush to take a picture of them. The worst is, the paps and journalists all want their share of that world, so they run there all along fans desperately trying to get a look at what’s going on even though all they see it other people’s hair.</p><p>But Annie is not new at that, and she may not like it but it pays. What she needs is to make her boss happy to get better jobs. So, she sucks it up, dresses pretty with pointy shoes and goes there, because it’s not her first rodeo and she know the good spots and she knows which celebrity is more likely to talk.</p><p>Today is the first screening of the new James Bond, it goes without saying that all the big people are there, smiling and getting their picture taken. But, as always, there’s always one that stands out.</p><p>James B. Barnes just made and appearance, announced by the raging screams of his fans. An instant later he appears on the carpet, parading in his very expense clothes, all designer, beaming.</p><p>He kisses the woman who opened his car, his trusty agent. It’s a firm and hard kiss on the cheek as he holds on her elbow, and it gets him more screams. Show off.</p><p>He looks like a prince, dressed in a deep burgundy suit that accentuate his body in all the right places, light charcoal shirt opened at the collar to show the thin silver chains he always keeps around his neck. His hair is styled back, with an elegant swoop that sharpens his jaw —not that he’d need it. And, as always, he has his trademark color coordinated eyeshadow, a faint red tint over his eyelids and subtle eyeliner.</p><p>He has a soft, elongated demeanor and smooth step that rolls his hips, and the satin pocket square seems to catch the light as he walks along the carpet. He stops about a third of the way and stands in his now signature stance : one hip cocked out so his entire body bends in a slight curve, both hands in his pockets, head thrown back just a little in such a way he has to look at everyone from under his lashes. He looks hot, sexy, ready to fuck the world and his fans love it, they eat it up right form his hand.</p><p>And he knows it too. About two weeks ago, he reposted a meme a fan made on Instagram, the one with that weird pink horse figure eating from the hand of an even weirder man. The fan photoshopped ‘JBB’ —the name he acquired on the net— over the man figure, ‘his selfies’ on the hand and ‘us’ over the pink horse. The fucker only put a winky face in the description. His followers talked about it for days, even her heard about it for god’s sake.</p><p>Annie doesn’t like him much because he knows the rules and plays with them, it’s not as fun with him. But she has a job, and if she can make her boss happy, then she’ll do what’s necessary.</p><p>“Barnes!” She yells for him, again and again until he spots her. She smiles, her sweetest one she can make and waves. “Barnes over here, Annie Lowe for Celeb Now!” And so, he makes his way towards her, nonchalant and still rolling his damn hips. He’s way too confident, but it’s a trait shared by many models; it’d be stupid to call a journalist stubborn, it’s job description at this point.</p><p>“James! How are you doing?” She asks, trying to stay in her cameraman’s eyesight.</p><p>“Well Annie, I’m doing fine. Excellent even, it’s a great night.”</p><p>“I bet it is. First time you appear in a movie, and a James Bond at that! That’s no small feat. You’re enjoying your night, I suppose?”</p><p>“Oh I am.” There’s a vicious —no not vicious, hungry smile on his face. Enough to make his fans think about it.</p><p>“You’re the very first Bond Boy, how does it feel?”</p><p>“Well, it’s a great honor. I’m glad to be alive in an era where we can get our first black and gay James Bond, you’d think we’d have done that earlier! I’m glad the producer asked for writers directly concerned by that. I’m also glad they chose gay people to act in the movie. And I know, Idris Elba isn’t, but he makes such a fine James Bond no one’s gonna held him accountable.” James laughs. “I’m mostly honored they thought of me to be the first male Bond lover on screen, it’s actually a great honor. I’ve been a fan of spy novels since I was a kid.”</p><p>“Tell us more about your character James.”</p><p>“Ah, I can’t say much, I don’t wanna ruin the movie for anyone. But I can say, my script had more than one page.” He chuckles, almost wink. “But there’s none of those harmful clichés you usually see in mainstream movies. My character isn’t that gay guy with a capital G, he’s a complex being that happens to also be gay. And that was a huge relief when I first read the script.” Barnes adds with a more serious tone.</p><p>“That’s good to hear! James Bond: Running out of Time, in your theater the twenty-fifth of January!” She says for the camera. “But enough of the serious talk.” She laughs, fake but genuine enough for the camera. “I see you’re wearing Scudo tonight.”</p><p>“What else would I wear Annie?” All sweet honey dripping from his voice. The lapels have that distinctive retro vibe that’s hard to miss. “I’m his muse, it’d be cross of me to not wear the stuff made for me.”</p><p>“So that’s an exclusive suit?”</p><p>“Oh yeah. It won’t be accessible for the public.” He laughs again. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not the artist merely the canvas. But I can tell you—” And he leans closer, like it’s a secret. “—That the next Scudo collection will be more tame in the color scheme than the last one. Steve has found other inspirations for that one.”</p><p>“Oh my, you got that Henry? A new collection is in the preparation!”</p><p>“Well, I can’t give you a date, but Steve’s been working on it.”</p><p>“Speaking of Steve,” She says smoothly, and James’s head cocks on the side. “Any sweetheart in your life yet?”</p><p>“Oh my, Annie, you never miss a chance, do ya?” His Brooklyn accent drools.</p><p>“What can I say, I’m good at my job.”</p><p>“There’s some things worth to talk about in my love life, yeah.” He admits with a more subdue smile.</p><p>“Oh, exiting things?”</p><p>“Always, what else could I have?”</p><p>“Is it a wedding?”</p><p>“Oh Annie. I’m not spoiling the fun.” He grins. “Besides, I’m sure you paps would know before me if I was going to marry. You’re great like that.” And she’s left speechless as he walks away toward another journalist, already back on his trade mark smile and cockiness. That JB Barnes for you, all sweet and sharp.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>Trish likes her job. She likes the radio, because since last year fiasco and her quitting while the show was on air, the producer has given her more control over her content. Which means she’s openly political now, and is not restricted to safe, PG-13 news approved by corporations. She can invite activist, protesters and whistle blowers opposing government and corporations and powerful people; and she can give them a voice. She’s proud of her work.</p><p>But she also likes to keep her moment where she can host lighter subject. She looks over her notes one last time before seeing Nicole’s cue and putting her headset on. Just as the last notes of her soft jazz single ends she turns to her mic.</p><p>“Welcome back New York, this is Trish Walker and you’re listening to Trish Talk.</p><p>“Today in our weekly art column, we’re taking news from our beloved street photographer, Sam Wilson. Sam, you took up photography in early 2011, and if your early work on your blog didn’t get much exposure, your street portraits quickly gained popularity. You were featured in many massive campaigns, most notably with the Harlem Vet Center and veteran funds, as well as Harlem youth programs and the following year with Harlem Pride, the Harlem based LGBTQ+ association. You were always picky with your work offers though, and it's with great surprised we saw you taking pictures of models for clothing brands starting big with Dapper Dan’s Boutique, that’s no small feat! And less known but just as talented Undra Duncan, who had just started on her own and was a very promising designer at the time. She is selling worldwide now. Your last works in couture featured many of Scudo’s model, such as the most infamous James Barnes. All of that in the span of three year!</p><p>“After two more years working in fashion, you decided to leave and took up your personal projects again. You just released your second photobook, titled ‘My life as a bird’, as you describe it: “a look into my own life, pieces of myself printed on paper and immortalized from my eyes through my camera”. It does feature a lot of obvious pictures, Harlem’s streets, gay prides, the Harlem VA office, veteran circles, as well more enigmatic one for us simple mortal who don’t have the chance of knowing you personally.” Sam rich, deep laugh resonate in the mic.</p><p>“So, Sam, tell us more about this book.”</p><p>“First of all, thank you for having me Trish, I can always appreciate an art enthusiastic. This book, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It has always been an idea in the back of my mind, you know? When I first started photography, buying a second hand camera and walking around with no idea what I was doing, I was already starting to think about compiling my life. Everything that makes up my every day, the streets I walk in, the people I work with, the ones I laughs with, the ones I love.”</p><p>“What took you so long?”</p><p>“Well, first, I had no idea what I was doing, let’s start there.” Another deep chuckle. “My first pictures, god… All blurry, most of them under or over exposed. Don’t trust movies, it’s hard to take good photos. That’s why I started my street portraits, to get used to shooting many people, skin tones, clothes, facial features, backgrounds, in different weathers… It’s an excellent skill to have, to be polyvalent.”</p><p>“Certainly learned from your military career.”</p><p>“Ah, you got me there Trish! You can’t be in the army and not be quick on your feet and be ready to adapt. That doesn’t work. I think that’s why photography drew me in, it’s all about control, and I like to know what I’m doing. You control your camera, obviously, its settings, how much light or depth you want, how you want the picture to turn out. You control your model, how they pose and what you want them to express, you control the background, the lights and colors and accessories. Photography is all about what you want to say. Give the same camera and same model to two different photographer and you’ll get two completely different world in each picture.”</p><p>“Is that why you went to the ad world, and couture?”</p><p>“I think. At first, it was the Harlem VA office that approached me. I used to go there, to connect with other vets, get info and help, the usual. When they saw my pictures, how people reacted to my street portraits, they thought it’d be a great way to humanize our vets and the distress they live. Picture enough people who comes back broken only to be rejected and people will talk about it, right? And then after my public coming out, it was Harlem Pride that hired me, and I realized that I could do a lot of good work with my pictures. One thing leads to another, and Dapper Dan contacted me. I accepted, of course, why wouldn’t I? He’s an icon and I was hearing about him since I was a kid! My sister used to look at his collection and dream about wearing them. I even managed to get her a jacket. Don’t let anyone tell you I’m not the best brother, alright? And then I met Undra, and she’s such a bright, amazing women. I thought, if I can use my reputation to give her a little help, why shouldn’t I? She’s already starting to export in Europe now.</p><p>“And you know how it goes, life happens and suddenly you have dozens of projects you want to work on, and your first idea gets swiped under the rug. Shooting models is really fun, you can get really eccentric with it. Not all of your clients accept that you flood an entire set in gold water and smear it all over their model's face.”</p><p>“Do you regret any of it?”</p><p>“Not at all.” Sam pauses for a moment. “It was good for me, I learned to work with people, not just my company, trust me civilian life is not nearly the same as your life in the army. I learned to trust other people on photography, which is not that easy when you’re a control freak like me. Sometimes, the makeup artists are better at knowing which colors works under which lights, crazy right? People with jobs know more about their jobs than you do!</p><p>“Working with Scudo was also really rewarding. I was fully involved in their ad campaign; my input was just as important as Steve Roger’s of JB Barnes’s. It felt good, to be esteemed like that.”</p><p>“We all remember that spring 2017 collection, it was sensational.” Trish confirms. “Which ideas were yours?”</p><p>“Well, I introduced Steve to long flowing piece of fabric that trails behind models. JB had been on his case about that for years, but until I brought it up he wouldn’t hear about it, saying it was too ‘show-off-ish’ and that only trash couture had that. But apparently, I’m more trusted about fashion trends than an actual model. You should have seen JB’s face.”</p><p>“You’re close with them, right?”</p><p>“We’re still friend, yeah. They have good work ethics. When I decided to take a break from model shooting and work on my book, they fully supported me. They were genuinely happy for me, and they even offered their help. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but not that many people would be smiling when you tell them you’ll stop working with them when your work has given their company lots of money.”</p><p>“We keep hearing about how nice they are, maybe we ought to have them here one day.”</p><p>“You can try with JB, but I wouldn’t count my luck with Steve.”</p><p>“But we’re here with you Sam, let’s talk about that book of yours. When did the idea finally emerged into something real?”</p><p>“I’d say about two years ago. I was still working with Scudo by then. I started shooting for it a little under a year, and it went into printing a couple months ago. It’s all very exciting, it’s my first independent project since my street portraits back in 2011, it’s been years! It’s as exciting as it is mortifying to have people look at something that’s a hundred percent me, and only me.</p><p>“What can we expect from this book? And what was the process of making it like?”</p><p>“As I said, it’s me. The book is me, my life. I started by going on walk with my camera and shooting anything that caught my eyes, insignificant or important, it was all the same. It got to a point where I never left my house without my camera with me, and when I officially started working on it, I already had a good amount of pictures. After sorting through them, I started to put together themes, things that I wanted to express.</p><p>“There’s good stuff, pictures of my family, bits of their world that collides with mine, there’s friends and the people that connect with me. There are the streets of my childhood, the places that I now go seek comfort into. My best friend helped me a lot with that, and it’s thanks to him I wasn’t eaten alive by a bird.</p><p>“But there’s also the places that hurt, the one that makes your heart sore just thinking about them. It was almost a challenge for me, to go there and forces myself to take pictures of them, make me see their appealing side, what beauty that can be found there. Or, to admit to myself that sometimes, some things just hurt, and there’s no greater meaning behind that.”</p><p>“The VA office?”</p><p>“Amongst them yes. Once again, my best friend was a lot of help with that, we lived through the same thing after all, it’s easier to have someone with shared life experience. But I went alone for some of them. To cemetery and graveyard, to forgotten houses and places that holds memories you’ll never live again.”</p><p>“You haven’t played with black and white since your street portraits, is there a reason you chose colors for this book rather than go back to your roots?”</p><p>“Well, I learned to like colors since then. It’s a strange thought, but before that, colors were an annoying thing to work with, so I stuck to black and white. But I had to capture the rainbow for Harlem Pride, and since then I fell in love with it. I have some pictures in monochrome, because sometimes it’s the best medium to tell some stories, but I wanted my book to express what I live in, and I live in a colorful, loving world.”</p><p>“That’s such a beautiful thought.”</p><p>“I’m good with picture but I have a way with words too Trish!” There’s a chuckle there. “I absolutely did not rehearse that line twenty times before coming, nope.”</p><p>“Sam, we have about a minute left, and your fans would kill me if we didn’t abord that question, so bear me, alright?”</p><p>“Alright Trish, what do you wanna ask?”</p><p>“Has our favorite Harlem queer icon found a valentine yet?” Sam laughs, a real belly laugh.</p><p>“Wait, what day is it?”</p><p>“February the seventh.”</p><p>“Oh snap! Thanks for reminding me Trish. To answer, yeah, I have a date for the fourteenth. I just have to ask them.”</p><p>“Oh them. Don’t want to reveal too much?”</p><p>“Not yet no. It’s something good, something special, and I want to keep that for myself just a bit longer, yeah?”</p><p>“That’s not something we hear every day Sam, congratulation!”</p><p>“Yeah. I think I might even have found love; can you believe?”</p><p>“Oh my, love?”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s easy, with some people. Easy to fall for them without questioning it.”</p><p>“Take your box of tissue New York, Sam Wilson’s taken and it’s not with you. Any chance we’ve heard of that ‘them’?”</p><p>“Eh.” He shrugs and there’s mischief in his eyes when he answers. “I might have sneaked a picture or two in my book.”</p><p>“Well, let the treasure hunt begging then! Thank you, Sam Wilson, for being here, it was a lovely talk. Your book will be available online the twentieth and in hardcover in every library the twenty-sixth. You will be touring the States for the promotions, starting here in New York the twenty-ninth and ending in Seattle the twenty-first of march. We’re all wishing you luck that promotions, and all the best for the coming years.”</p><p>“Thank you, Trish, it was lovely talking with you. And don't forget to bring a copy of the book with you so I can sign it. I will also sign a couple hundred of them to be shipped out everywhere in the States, so maybe you’ll be lucky.”</p><p>“Don’t forget to grab one for yourself next week then! I’ll see you tomorrow for the last show of the week, we’ll be having a conversation with Ms. Claire Temple, a nurse at Metro-General Hospital about the state of our public health services. You’re listening Trish Talk, and this is Trish Walker, signing off.”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>
  <strong>Steve Rogers: the man behind the Shield</strong><br/>
<span class="small">Article by Oliver Farley</span>
</p><p>Today I meet with Steve Rogers. My readers must know by now, but I’m a big fan of his work. I always follow fashion trends closely, and his work has been refreshing to say the least. He manages to make vintage fashion work with modern in a way no one else did up until now, and the structure of his pieces are always on point, each piece of clothing make a statement on its own and his runaway are always a show to be witness.</p><p>To say that Steve Rogers is a man of few media appearances would be an understatement. I’m here today only because of a friend of a friend that knows him well enough to ask for a favor. And I still can’t believe I’m the first journalist to see him face to face since last year’s Paris Fashion Week.</p><p>I was told to meet him at his private home, which happens to be located in Brooklyn. It’s an old warehouse that was converted into a living space when the company relocated and has been abandoned since then I was told. Steve Rogers himself comes open the front door, and little me is shaking with excitement to meet this renowned designer.</p><p>He offers me a coffee, and I accept. I watch as he produces a vintage coffee press from a cupboard and set to make the drink as we exchange civilities. How are you, and the usual. He is a polite man, playing host like you rarely see nowadays, and the first thing I see about him is that he’s very down to earth. He knows where he’s going, at all time, and you’d be a fool to think he doesn’t have all the cards in his hands. He controls everything, down to the setting and the mood he wants, even if he doesn’t show it.</p><p>The house is big, it’s a lot of open space and rustic décor. But it’s also strangely empty. The kitchen counter is big, with many stools and chair, there should be friend and family sitting there. It is said that Mr. Rogers likes to protect his personal life form his public exposure, and it is something I realizes to be true. This is a home that has been prepared to be seen by the world, and emptied from its more lively, and more personal, parts.</p><p>I ask him if he drinks a lot of coffee and he laughs, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Guilty as charged,” he tells me. “I can’t drink too much,” he amends. “With all the meds I have to take, caffeine interferes with some of them so I count every cup, but yes. I drink too much of it.” This is the perfect opening for me.</p><p>“What is it like to be a world-famous designer and still have so many predicaments as you do?” I ask him. “How do you deal with having asthma, your heart problems, your anemia that you’ve been really vocal about, your chronic pain, and still manage to work so much. The last spring/summer collecting you gave us was, to put mildly, genius.” There’s a laugh, more subdue this time.</p><p>“I don’t even remember what the questions was, with all those compliments.” He comes take a seat in the brown couch that sits in the middle of his warm, cozy living room. There’s a wooden coffee table, a fire place and several thrown pillows in mismatched shade of blue and red. The blanket artfully thrown over the back of the couch looks warm. It’s the kind of set up that is used and loved, not the typical showy furniture found in most open house celebrities have their interview in. But then again, Mr. Rogers is not most celebrities.</p><p>He invites me to sit in the matching arm chair near the couch, and I do so gladly, setting my recorder on the armrest.</p><p>“I don’t have many options. Either I live with it, or I don’t.” This statement sounds like an evidence. “This realization came to me when I was really young. I also have to say, I’m very lucky. I grew up poor, and without half the medicine I can afford today, I wouldn’t be where I am. I have great doctors that helps me manage my various illness, and I have many friends that are there to remind me when I’m pushing too far. But it took time to find that balance, and I had more than one week end spent in agonizing pain because I didn’t listen to my body. But you learn.”</p><p>Last year, Steve Rogers had to take a break form his work for health problems he chose not to disclose publicly. He was taken off Paris Fashion Week main runaway at last minute, and with so little information shared it was believed we had gotten the last creations of Rogers. But he made a grandiose come back a month ago where he designed all the clothes worn by St. Vincent for her opening concert and held a runaway with a collection that, and I’m not afraid to say this, will change how we view fashion for the next years.</p><p>I spent two hours with Steve Rogers, half of it taking illustration pictures for this article. What follows is the transcription of this hour-long conversation.</p><p>
  <b>OF: You’ve come a long way since your debut. How do you feel about all you’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> Well, the thing is Oliver- Can I call you Oliver? The thing is, I’m not nostalgic. I try not to dwell on the past, on what could have been, what could be. I lost people in my youth, and you realize that you can easily trap yourself in the past. When I do look back on my life, I feel proud. I come from a certain background where I had to fight for everything I now have. Seeing all I’ve accomplished, what I created, the mark I will leave after I’m gone, I do feel good about it.</p><p>I like to tell this story. It’s a known one, it’s not the first time I’ve told it, but I like to repeat it because it reminds people we all start somewhere. I had a friend, Maggie, her mother had an old sewing machine. Maggie loved fashion, she was always on her best, and we would often comb through magazines together to kill time when I was sick and couldn’t do much. She would point at clothes and say they’re not good enough, this sleeve is wrong, what an ugly fabric, no taste at all!” I feel the need to point out, he tries to do a British accent and greatly fails. He allows me to mention it. “One day, I just realized, it can’t be that hard? It’s just geometry with physic and some design in it. I was already in my college on an art course when I sewed my first shirt for her. I never stopped since then. I didn’t start big, I just started, and just by doing something I was setting my way.</p><p>
  <b>OF: This Maggie, do you still talk with her?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> I do. She’s a great friend. She even modeled for me before JB accepted, but she eventually went on with her career and couldn’t afford to model anymore. I still send her pieces every now and then.</p><p>
  <b>OF: Stop me if I overstep, but I know we’re all thinking about it. What happened last year?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> What happen last year? More like what didn’t happen. A lot was going on in my life. I had a sick family member. It was serious, and a lot of my time was spent with that person. For while we honestly weren’t sure if they would make it out or not. Then there was that cyber attack and the leak of many of my projects I kept secret for a reason, that has been a hard blow to recover from too. It all pilled up until late September I fell sick too. I left my anemia go unchecked, and I got iron poisoning. It had gotten bad enough that I needed to be hospitalized, and by then I finally realized I needed to take a break to care of myself and the people close to me. I really scared them because I was too reckless and played with my health when I should have been more careful.</p><p>
  <b>OF: How did you recover from that?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> With time. I cut off my social media, put my work with Scudo on hold and focused on me for a while. I was sort of prepared for something like that to happen. I know no one is immune to sudden change in life, so I had a sort of contingency plan ready to limit the repercussion to my name if something like that were to happen. By January when I was ready to work again, Scudo was back on tracks.</p><p>
  <b>OF: So you had a plan?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> The thing is, I always have a plan.</p><p>
  <b>OF: What was your plan if fashion design didn’t work out for you?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> To make Scudo work in the big world.</p><p>
  <b>OF: That simple?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> Not that simple. But I’m stubborn. Ask my friends, they will all tell you I don’t let go when I’m told to. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, because if I’m here it’s thanks to a lot of luck and help and privileges. But being stubborn helps a lot.</p><p>
  <b>OF: This was your first show without Sam Wilson as photographer.</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> It was. And it took time for us to get used to working without him again. He became such an important part of our work at Scudo. Photographers are often overlooked, but he brought something special to our collection. He had genius ideas and most of our ground breaking pieces wouldn’t exist if not for him. He’s an incredible person, and I’m happy I’ve worked with him. Him and me, we really matched in term of personality and he agreed on the direction I wanted Scudo to take, helped me push even further. We are still friend, and I’m really happy for his book, he worked hard for it, he deserves all praises he’s getting.</p><p>
  <b>OF: Does that mean we’ll be see you collaborate with him again?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> If he wants to, and if he has the time, of course. But sometimes people have to go their own way and that’s okay. Like I said, we’re friend, we stayed in contact, we see each other when feasible.</p><p>
  <b>OF: How has your working process changed since your beginning?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> Not much. I do try to take input from more people, to listen more and look out for different voices than the one I’m used to. But I had a great work ethic, my mother made sure of that. I don’t go into something until I’ve thought it through, I make plans, draw sketches, do samples, and once I’m sure it goes through our studio. I’m still involved throughout the entire process.</p><p>
  <b>OF: Did something prompted that change?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> Lately, I've found inspiration in the people close to me.</p><p>
  <b>OF: James Barnes?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> He is a big part of my life, yes. I’ve known him for as long as I can remember, been working with him since the beginning of Scudo. His input is always welcome. But he’s not the only one. Not anymore. Not since a long time. I’m surrounded by friends and family and people I can’t imagine living without now that I know them.</p><p>
  <b>OF: Any names ?</b>
</p><p><b>SR:</b> Ha, yes but no. I'll keep those for me. That’s mine.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>“Oh shit.” Is what Steve hear when he first wakes up. Or maybe that’s what’s waking him up. Who knows? “Oh <em>shit</em>.” The voice repeats, and the first thing he see is Bucky sitting against the headboard of their master bed, looking at his tablet with wide eyes. “<em>Fuck</em>.” He swears quietly, and the other side of the bed is already cold, so Sam must have left for his therapist appoint already. It’s a Wednesday, but it’s also their anniversary so they all cleared their agenda. Well, Sam never skips a therapist appointment if he can help it, so their day will really be fun when he comes back. At least, that was the plan, until Steve heard Bucky.</p><p>“Bucky?” He mumbles against his pillow and tries to separate his face from the fabric. Very much a hardship when he’s this warm, but when Bucky doesn’t acknowledge him, he starts to worry. “Bucky? What’s going on?” He asks again.</p><p>He turns the tablet's screen toward Steve, but he’s still lying down, and with no glasses so there’s not much he’s gonna see right now. He slowly sits up, winces as he back cracks and pops and searches for his glasses on the nightstand. Until Bucky gets them from the other one and thrust them into his hand, along with the tablet.</p><p>“What am I supposed to look at?” He asks as he fumbles with it and squint at the high luminosity. God, he’s only just woke up. The tablet is open on some rags front page.</p><p>“Just- Read it.” There’s an almost whine in the back of Bucky’s throat, and it could be nothing or it could be the worst thing ever.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p><strong><span class="big">Brooklyn Designer Steve Rogers Caught Making Out With Photographer Sam Wilson In Manhattan. Valentin Sweetheart Or New Hot Gay Relationship Of The Month? </span></strong><br/>
</p>
</div><div class="center">
  <p>
    <strong>Find out page 4!</strong>
  </p>
</div><p>Underneath it there’s a blurry pic of him and Sam from the night before, taken just as they were leaving the restaurant. Bucky was still paying the check when Sam tugged Steve outside, too impatient to wait. On the picture, Steve has Sam pushed against the wall, and he’s sucking like a leech on his throat. It felt sexier when he did that last night, but in the picture it just looks kinda lewd and gross. What is gross? Sam is gasping, both hand grabbing Steve’s back, and god, he’s still so sexy, even with bad lighting and unflattering angle.</p><p>“Well fuck.” Steve finds himself saying when his brain finally registers that the information on the tablet is not meant to be hot but to be alarming.</p><p>“Yeah.” Bucky says in a flat voice. “What are we gonna do? It's gonna completely jeopardize what Sam has started building up, no one's gonna take him seriously they will all just think he’s a lover boy and got his place in Scudo because you fuck him. And the rags are already talking about you and me, it’s gonna be such a mess.” And the whine’s back in his voice.</p><p>“We’re gonna wait for Sam to get home first. He shouldn’t be long, and then we’re gonna talk, okay?” Steve sharply breath in and commands his brain to go into strategist mode, because they have to address that, and soon. He opens his mails to see one from his PR rep already waiting for him. It was supposed to be a good day today.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, apparently you’re cheating on Bucky with me, how cool is that? I'm the next celebrity homewrecker.” Sam walks in the house with a bag of pastries and a big grin on his face.</p><p>“You’ve seen it?” Steve asks, and Sam is taking it better than the both of them thought he would. But then again, he’s full of surprises.</p><p>“Yeah, I was walking out of my therapist’s office when I got the notif' on my phone.” He sets the bag Steve already knows is filled with croissants and apple turnovers —those are Bucky’s vice, you have to wrestle them out of his hands if you want one— and he goes to kiss each of them, a sweet, soft kiss on their forehead because morning kisses before brushing your teeth are a hard no for both Steve and Bucky, no matter how many time Sam says he doesn’t mind.</p><p>“What are we gonna do about it?” Bucky asks, because he’s the one with the serious anxiety problem, don’t believe the confidence he has on camera. “My agent says I can’t do much, since I’m not even really involved, we’re not public me and Steve, there’s just rumors, and even if you deny it that doesn’t mean the press will let it go. I mean, have you seen the pic?” Bucky gasps, and if Sam’s grin is anything to go by, he had the same thought as Steve did when he first saw it. It’s hot, okay?</p><p>“I loved it.”</p><p>“Oh my god, you’re worse than Steve, I hate you both.” Bucky groans. “Steve’s PR says you have to wait it out for a bit before you can do anything, but I don’t like that.”</p><p>“I don’t like doing nothing either Buck, but what else can we do?”</p><p>“I have an idea.” Sam chimes from the kitchen where he’s fixing himself a cup of coffee. He walks back, looking nonchalant as if they’re not in the middle of what will be the celebrity sphere biggest scandal for the next few months. “Bucky, you will hate it. Steve,” He grins again. “You’re gonna love it.” There’s a moment of silence where he just sits down at the table and snatches a croissant for himself as Steve and Bucky stares at him.
</p><p>“And I’ll still do it, right?” Bucky sighs, and Sam’s wicked grin hasn’t moved an inch. Steve, who is gazing at Sam likes he’s the brightest star in the sky, has that spark in his eyes that says ‘I love you more than anything else in the world and also you’re my hero’ he gets when they plot something together, and Bucky knows there’s nothing he can do to stop it. He doesn’t even pretend to protest, it’s just pointless at this point. “Okay, what do you want to do?”</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p><b>Kay</b><br/>
<i>@Kayjk</i></p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>OMG guys I was just behind Steve Rogers to get my coffee this morning, and he asked for three coffee, one decaf, one soy and one with cream. Do we know how Sam Wilson drinks his coffee ??? </p>
</blockquote>9:23 pm · Mar 18·<br/><b>408</b> Retweets <b>716</b> Likes<br/>│<br/><b>titty™</b><br/><i>@livelaughfck</i>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Didn’t JBB said in that wired interview that he likes soy because it tastes better? </p>
</blockquote>│<br/><b>&lt;3Nat&lt;3</b><br/><i>@JBboo</i>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>He did! <i>https://t.co/jfI5cDe22 </i>at 4:25</p>
</blockquote>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>Bucky’s been lazy lately, so he went along with Sam to his usual gym to go do some free climbing. Sam likes the feeling of being high in the air, he kept that from his military career, and climbing allows Bucky to get a more natural muscle structure than he would get at the gym. Plus, it’s more fun to do that than to lift weight all day.</p><p>They went early afternoon to get as little crowd as possible, but places like that are never empty, not really, so they changed and went on as they usually would. But Sam just got back from a job in Boston, and it’s been a while okay? So they let their hands linger a bit longer than necessary, and Sam put on his most ridiculously short pair of shorts. He can see his ass if he stands underneath him for god’s sake.</p><p>The thing is, Bucky knows when a camera is on him. He spends enough time in front of one, being the center of attention to know what it feels like. He leans back into Sam’s body and pushes his head against his neck.</p><p>“Someone’s filming.” He murmurs, and Sam only smiles.</p><p>“Then let them. I’m enjoying myself here.” And he keeps on his pretend lesson on how to position your arm for maximum efficiency. Really, he’s just feeling Bucky up while Bucky shamelessly leans into his hot, thick body and enjoy it. He pushes his elbow into the palm of Sam's hand, make sure to keep his eyes on his boyfriend's face while Sam purposefully ignores him and keep whispering sentences that Bucky barely listens to. He grinds his ass into Sam’s hips, just so, and he trips over his words for a second, all flustered.</p><p>“Stop it.” He says with no intend in his words, but he bend his knees to push back into his body, and it’s the best feeling ever. Bucky doesn’t even hide his smirk. He sees the girls with the pink iPhone flushes and walk away, looking down at her feet. Mission accomplished.</p><p>The second time he spots her, Sam is on the wall while Bucky looks at his techniques. He <em>was</em> listening to him and his advice, trying his best not to ogle him when she sneaked back near them with the phone up. She isn’t even trying to hide, it’s almost funny.</p><p>“Camera’s back.” He says, and Sam throw him a look over his shoulder that says it all. Without missing a beat, he walks closer to ‘correct’ his position. Gently, he closes his fingers around his ankle to drag his feet to another grip on the wall, a bit farther so that he has to push against it with the tip of his toes. And concretely, what that does is that now Sam has to extend his leg, and all the muscles from feet to his backside tighten into a long, almost trembling line of flesh.</p><p>He grins to himself and doesn’t take his hand away. No, he slowly let it run all over the back of his leg, over flesh that’s hot and sweaty; from his Achille tendons to his tight, prominent runner’s calf and taught hamstring, smooth skin inside this thighs, all over to the fold that marks the delimitation between leg and ass. Bucky takes pride in Sam’s hitch in his breathing as he let his finger goes just above that short to his boxer, gently run his nail over the fabric there before stepping back, watching Sam bravely hold on to the wall. He can see the girl with her eyes wide open, and he feels rather proud of himself.</p><p> </p><p><em>Maybe I should go with them when they work out</em>, Steve thinks as he opens their group chat and send the link he just found.</p><p>“<i>JB Barnes and Sam Wilson seen spending an intimate moment. You won’t believe how hot the videos are until you’ve seen them for yourself</i>.” Steve carefully reads off the article for the vocal message he’s recording. “I’ll never understand how you like to torture yourselves like that. Be more like me, don’t exhaust yourselves for no reason. Enjoy a good book.” He leaves his phone on the counter, not expecting a response soon, but he’s proven wrong when barely two minutes later his phone chimes.</p><p>“Don’t worry babe.” He hears Sam say. “We’ll exhaust you tonight, you’ll see.” Steve chokes on the decaf he’s drinking, and the vocal ends with the very distinctive noise of a high five and an annoying kissing noise.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <strong><span class="big">Haute Couture Star Steve Rogers Seen With Sam Wilson Dining At Carmine’s In Intimate Setting.</span> More Page 6.</strong>
  </p>
</div>Comment left by <ins>Charlie99</ins> on <i>Apr. 3</i> at <i>9:47am</i><br/>In that third pic, is that them playing footsie under the table??<div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>Steve has lots of friends. Most of them aren’t really friend, but they’re great coworker he respects, and it’s easier to say friend than ‘coworker I respect but don’t consider close enough to be a trusted confident’. So Steve has a lot of friend. And a lot of them are artists. Like Janet van Dyne.</p><p>Well, she’s not really a friend, more of mentor figure. When his name first started to get big, she saw him and decided give him a couple of advice on the fashion world. Turns out, even if she’s from New Jersey, she’s still from the East Coast, and that was enough to make Steve’s heart sing as his first major shows were in L.A.</p><p>She’s a great person, an even better designer, and over the years they developed a relationship he really likes. They swap ideas and sometimes even eat out together. She still works as chief designer at her brand, but she’s also revealed public her work as an artist, and it’s stunning. She’s doing her first exposition and she sent an invitation for Steve, of course. Even if their friendship wasn’t public, she’d still have wanted him here, as he’s an artist before all, like her.</p><p>As his plus one, Steve took Bucky because Janet likes him and she wouldn’t have let him hear the end of it if he wasn’t there. Plus, it’s Sam’s mom’s birthday and it’s boring at home without him. And the thing is, Steve and Bucky know each other since they’re kid. There were friends long before being lovers, and they work together like an old machine, they’ve developed things, tricks and mechanism for years. And some of them, they’re just too good to not play with.</p><p>After shaking Janet’s hand and making conversation for a while like any good friend, they left her to the euphoria of her first art show to go look at the paintings, like anyone would do. Steve stands straight, hands in his pockets and face neutral, trying to invoke the expression he keeps for public outing, the serene, stern one. And by his side, Bucky leans into his body, smiles and laughs and murmurs things into his ear and let his hand run over the small of his back. And it’s not that Steve doesn’t want to reciprocate and turn his head to Bucky’s side, it’s just something they developed over the years.</p><p>The thing is, back when Scudo was just a name on paper, Steve already knew what he wanted to do, what he wanted to bring and what kind of image he wanted. Before Bucky was even a model for it, back when Peggy kindly let him took pictures of her, he had already learned that you don’t demand respect, you get it.</p><p>And so, in public, Steve has crafted this aura, this image not of a cold person but of someone to be respected. He learned that you do not get listened to by yelling louder than the other but by forcing them to listen to you. So he never raises his voice, he always speaks softly so people have to shut up if they want to hear him, and they do. He never reaches out to people; he waits for them to come meet him. Maybe it’s learnt from his childhood, maybe it’s only a result of never being regarded as nothing more than a nobody, but Steve thrives when people stop talking when he walks in and when they all look at him like he’s important.</p><p>Bucky, he’s not that confident. He has to persona, that very extravagant, extroverted attitude that imposes himself in every room he walks, that demands to be looked at, and it’s all born from Bucky’s sever lack of confidence and self-doubt, it’s all compensation. Growing up hating yourself and repressing who you truly are leave scars, no matter how well you hide them.</p><p>That’s what they play publicly, since the beginning of Scudo, the stoic artist and the cocky model. And it <em>works</em>. People talk about it; it gets attention and it builds the stories around them.</p><p>And it’s fun. Which, isn't an aspect to be overlooked. Steve likes to pretend to be unbothered by Bucky contacts and constant ribbing when all he wants is to kiss him stupid; and Bucky likes to push and see up to which point he can go before Steve takes out his phone on an imaginary and very important call to go make out with him behind the building. It’s fun.</p><p>And the press doesn’t know a thing about this, which makes it all even better.</p><p>When Sam first saw this dance they do, he was puzzled, because he saw them interact in previous shooting and Steve had been very vocal about his feelings and what he wants, letting his emotions express themselves while Bucky let some of his doubt about his performance show. It wasn’t long before he understood it, and smiled to himself as Bucky would stay close to an almost bored Steve.</p><p>Sam brought something neither of them knew they needed. He’s the missing piece that made everything make sense once he was there. He was the older one, the one with experiences and a life behind him and dark places and bright memories. He was the one to make everything simple and yet make them more intricate. Sam is the one that follows his heart and still guide himself with his brain. He’s the one to go up to them in party and ask questions and make everyone turn their head toward him because that's just what he does.</p><p>But tonight, there’s no photographer to come remind them that there’s real life under the false cloak of celebrity. Tonight, it’s only the two of them, Bucky nipping at his ear and Steve looking straight ahead, heart warm and shivers down his spine as Bucky drop his hand lower than his back for a second.</p><p> </p><p>“Michael Gervais from Vogue speaking, at the most expected Janet van Dyne art show! During this ad break, another fashion designer appeared, Steve Rogers is here tonight! And it appears his plus one is JB Barnes, childhood friend and known worldwide as the Roger’s muse!” The journalist speaks into his mic, looking like a child at a candy shop. “They’re right there, looking at—”</p><p>And Sam knows he was about to describe them, but how do you make that narration PG-13? Because Bucky is groping Steve. There’s no other word for what’s going on. Steve is doing his ‘I’m the dark’ kinda thing he does in public, and Bucky is grinning like a college kid that found another bottle. He’s plastered by Steve side, leaning into him, and his hand is way down to his ass. Not even pretending to hold onto the hip, oh no. His fingers rest over the swell of Steve’s ass as he keeps saying things into his ear, and the journalist’s face turns pink.</p><p>Sam grins and thinks for himself ‘<em>happy birthday to me</em>’ because he’ll come home to them later that night, and just for that he’s grateful. And also for the journalist’s face, because that was priceless. He quickly turns off his phone as he hears Sarah coming up behind him. Almost everyone is there and when the party begins, no one better be on their phone because it’s Ma’s birthday and it’s sacred.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p><b>JamieB-Barnes</b><br/>
Guys, here me out. Doesn’t this mole look like JBB?? I swear it’s the same. Sam said he put picture of his SO in his book.<br/>
[ID: one picture from Sam Wilson’s book ‘My Life as a Bird’ showing the leg of a man sitting on a wooden chair. Only the knee and calf are visible. Second pic show James B. Barnes from early 2008, on the beach in a pair of short. We can see his right leg from under the table he’s sitting at.]<br/>
<i>#fashionOT3 #Sam Wilson #Steve Rogers #JamesBBarnes #mylifeasabird #mlaab</i></p><p><b>totally-even</b><br/>
I think he got it removed back in 2009, he talked about skin cancer or something in his family. And the only pic of his legs before then are blurry AF. Honestly no idea.</p><p><b>mcnutty</b><br/>
Guys, stop it. They’re just messing with us. JB and Steve are friends, stop with your ridiculous shipping, they’re IRL people, it’s gross, not cute. If they were together, they would have told us. And if they didn’t, it’s because they don’t want to talk about. Also, Sam is a good guy, he doesn’t cheat on people. I think you’re reading too much into a bunch of friends messing with the public.</p><p><b>swords-and-guns</b><br/>
Killjoy *eyeroll emoji*</p><p><b>totally-even</b><br/>
Um, did you forget that pic where Sam and Steve were making out??</p><p><b>gbdream0243</b><br/>
That wasn’t making out</p><p><b>totally-even</b><br/>
Yes it was. Are you blind ??</p><p><b>i-seerosesinthe-sky</b><br/>
Guys! Guys! Let’s not fight, we’re all in the same fandom *heart emoji* *shiny heart emoji* we should unite and find the truth together!</p><p><b>mcnutty</b><br/>
stfu</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>It’s one of those night where they can all sleep together, there’s not one of them away on a promo trip or whatever responsibilities they have. They can just all pill up on their king size bed and die of heatstroke. Bucky’s not sure how it happens, but he was asleep just moments ago and now Sam’s kissing him as Steve stirs awake and press his cold nose on the nape of his neck, grinding his hips against his back.</p><p>“Mhhh.” He hums happily, and he enjoys the warmth of the bed and the weight of their hands over his body, but after some times, unfortunately, his brains connect. “No, I can’t.” Sam seems to hear, but he doesn’t care, he keeps kissing his chin and corner of his lips. “I have a thing.” He groans, and it break his heart to leave the bed, but it’s a really important meeting. None of them want to let him go. “Guys, I have to be at my agency for 7:30.”</p><p>“Come on.” Steve slightly slurs. “You can stay for a bit.”</p><p>“No. You’re the devil Steve. You two are gonna make out ‘til nine am, I know it.” Sam has sat up, and with a hand behind his neck he guides Bucky into a deep, long kiss all while Steve’s hand worms his way to his hips and gently wraps around his morning wood, drawing a moan from his throat. He has good fingers.</p><p>“Oh my god.” He says, pushing Sam off. “I hate you both so much right now.” But his words are hollow of any anger, they just sound sorrowful.</p><p>“Your loss.” Steve shrugs because he wants it now, and it’s not like they can’t mess around again tonight.</p><p>“Enjoy your cold shower.” Sam says through a grin, and Steve snickers by his side. If looks could kill, they’d both be six feet underground by now.</p><p>“You know what?” He hisses through his teeth. “I will. Assholes.”</p><p>He pushes the shower’s setting to coldest, and it’s still a while before his dick get along with the program and finally flags down. With a determined but sad sigh, he washes his hair -still dirty from yesterday night- and thinks about what he’s gonna say today. Jennie wants him to do more movie cameo, but he’s not sure he can handle the pressure. He knows Sam and Steve will be there for him, but it’ll still be only him standing alone on the set. Maybe if he takes acting lessons it’ll make him feels more legitimate?</p><p>Once dressed and hair styled, he comes back to the bedroom only to find that they haven’t moved an inch. Sam’s still lying on his back with Steve over him, kissing. But Steve’s hand nowhere to be seen. And Sam’s breathing isn’t exactly calm. God, they look amazing, bedhead and sweaty sheet and all.</p><p>“I’m leaving.” He says, proud of how even his voice sound, as he takes his phone from the night stand. The both of them separate long enough to kiss him goodbye, grinning like assholes. He loves them so much. Almost as much as he hates them right now. “I better not see any dick pick while I’m at work.” He says, which really means please, <em>please</em> send me something because I’m hungry and frustrated.</p><p>“Okay.” Steve says, gentle. “We’ll keep something for you tonight.” He adds, and there’s a grin breaking out under the pretend frown Bucky has. And just like that, he’s gone.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky’s not sure how, but his memo must have leaked online cause there’s three different van parked in front of his agency, and just has much journalist waiting for him there. With a sigh, he composes himself, check his outfit in the car mirror and steps out after giving the driver a couple bill.</p><p>As soon as he set foot on the asphalt, he hears the journalist shout for the camera to be turned on, and when the car door close he can see them with their mic and eyes on him.</p><p>“Barnes, are the rumors true? Are you and Sam Wilson dating?” One guy yell at him once he’s close enough.</p><p>“No, we’re not.” He pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head and waves his coffee at their faces. “He’s my friend, and I respect him. Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I fuck every male coworker I have.” He spit out with as much bitterness he can at the paps as he forces his way through them.</p><p>”What about Steve?” Another asks.</p><p>“What about him?”</p><p>“Are you with him?” The guy repeats like he’s stupid.</p><p>“He’s my childhood friend. That’s gross.” He takes a long slurp of his coffee and pushes his glasses back on his nose. “Honestly, it’s getting out of hand now. Find yourself someone new to bother, there’s nothing going on between me, Steve and Sammy.” He mentally fist pump himself. Way to go to confuse them. And with that he gets inside the agency as they start yelling for him some more.</p><p> </p><p>It’s well over ten am when he gets one text from Sam.</p><p>‘<i>We’re not coworker anymore?</i>’ he sends him with this obnoxious teary eye emoji and the two fingers touching each other. God he can see his face as he writes it with that shit eating grin. Steve send him the <i><ins>r/SapphoAndHerFriend</ins></i> subreddit link and nothing else.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>So far, Sam’s plan is working perfectly. Their agents want to tie them in their basement for the coming months because they are currently giving them heart attacks on heart attacks every morning when they have to open their phones, but they’re enjoying themselves. Even Bucky, who was really sceptic about it is having fun. He’s the most anxious of them, but even him likes to mess with the paps and media.</p><p>One day Steve and Bucky are about to come out together, and the next Sam is seen being handsy with James and the next one Steve is buying gifts for a photographer and pouring compliments about Sam. To say the media are confused would be a gross euphemism. Most of them think they’re trolling and messing with them, which they partly are, some of them think they’re sticking together and covering for two them who are actually in a relationship. But there’s still a fair share of people who actually believes there’s cheating and some ‘marriage breaking’ going on between them.</p><p>Overall, it’s a big mess and Steve and Sam are living their life. Sam’s promotion is behind him, and this wave of attention has bought new people to buy his book to search for proof of a relationship, comparing pics of Bucky and Steve to patches of skin that can been seen in his book. And Scudo wasn’t planning anything, their season is behind them, and Bucky slowed down his career for a while. So in their trouble it came at a right time, because it didn’t really harm their current project. Still, it would have been better for it to not happen at all.</p><p>In the meantime, they came out to their respective family. Bucky’s family took it hard, and so he found solaces in Steve’s Mom who smiled and said: “I knew about it for a while. Can’t fool me baby when you talk about Sam like he invented sliced bread.” Only Rebecca met with Bucky to tell him she still loves him. He came back crying like a baby. Sam told his mother on their Sunday meal. He hates himself for thinking that, but only having to tell his Ma and Sarah felt like a relief, he doesn’t know how his father would have taken it. He had a hard time accepting the boys in his youth, but two men… He had to explain it to his Ma for a while, but when she understood the three of them loves each other equally and he’s not just filling in or being a painting in the house, she hugged him hard. Sarah grinned and called him a lucky bastard -behind their Mama’s back because swear words are still banned in the Wilson household.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>Last week, Steve and Sam where seen walking in and out of his desk together almost every day, and that got the media talking. But Steve went to visit Peggy who has a week of leave in the UK, taking the opportunity to meet with some couture friends he has over there. Bucky stayed because he’s currently working with Marco Morante in L.A., and Sam got a contract with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus for their anniversary next months, and he’s currently staying with Bucky in his hotel until he starts next week. So no holiday for them neither.</p><p>For this past week, and for most of the evenings, James has been wining and dining Sam like a king, showing him L.A. for the first time and enjoying ridiculous dates and over the top gesture like tucking a rose in his jacket just for the hell of it. They also swapped a reasonable amount of pic with Steve and spent an entire evening talking on Skype, listening as Steve talks about his day and the people he met.</p><p>And also about the gossip rags going wild over the past two weeks. It’s awesome. Sam loves it all.</p><p>“I don’t do sexy photo Sam.” Bucky tells him when they finally get to his flat.</p><p>“What, you shy?” Sam grins and shrugs off his jacket. It was mostly a joke when he offered, it would rile Steve up to not be there and it would be fun to watch. But he wasn’t serious when he said that.</p><p>“I’m not shy. I know I’m sexy as hell.” He punctuates this with a not so subtle hip trust and a tongue running over his teeth. “The thing is, I trust you.” And he says that so easily, like it’s a universal truth that’s not to be questioned. The sky is blue and I trust you. Sam keeps his heart still. “Thieves and hackers? Not so much.” He has a rueful smile. “The pics could end up anywhere, and it’s not really a career-ender, not anymore, but I’d rather keep my dick for me, ya know?</p><p>“I get it yeah.” Sam only snaps pics of his abs and back side, never something too explicit for this exact same reason. And never with his face in the picture.</p><p>“Honestly,” Bucky keeps going, worrying his ring on his hand between two fingers. “A couple of suggestive photos, like smiling over one naked shoulder, I’m good with. But full nude would be a hard blow on my carrier if it got out.”</p><p>“Hey, Buck.” He takes his hand into his own. “You don’t need to justify yourself.” Bucky sighs, shaky. “You say no, we won’t do it.”</p><p>“No, but—” there’s a pause, like he’s not sure he should keep talking. It lingers for a few moments before he squares his shoulders and seems to resign himself. “I’d like to. I’d really, really like to.” And he’s blushing, a faint red tint over his cheeks. It’s adorable. “Can you imagine how big of a turn on it would be? To have your entire, undivided attention on me while I’m completely naked? That’s so hot just thinking about it.” He laughs. “But I’m not sure I should.”</p><p>“Hey, tell you what. If you really wanna do this, we do a couple of soft one, like you said. Just a shoulder and a bit of skin, nothing explicit. Of you and me both, and we send them to Steve in a locked file?”</p><p> </p><p>Steve is busy. He may be there to see Peggy, but he’s also planning a possible collaboration with a UK based brand, and the next runaway they’re planning is in a couple months only. So even though he had a lovely brunch with Peggy and her husband this morning, he’s thinking about how this can play out, and if he should even entertain this collaboration idea given what he’s seen so far from the chief designer of the brand.</p><p>He’s mindlessly scrolling though his tablet, thinking through all his options when he gets a notification. It’s an e-mail, from Sam, and it’s only labelled ‘<span class="big"><b>NOT SAFE FOR WORK</b></span>’ in bright pink, and Steve barely manages to not swallow his tongue right there and then. Sure, they had phone sex the other day, but it’s not nearly the same to get pictures. Or video. God, maybe it’s a video. And they knew he would be in a meeting!</p><p>Steve is very proud of himself for not walking out of the room right there and then. He closes his inbox, drinks some water and finish the meeting like a professional. He evens share some jokes at the end, says he wants to consult with his designers before accepting anything, and shakes a couple hands. But he has no qualm in leaving the room as soon as they decree the meeting over, rushing out the door over “<em>present matters!</em>” and finding his car not nearly quickly enough.</p><p>He thinks about the mail all the way to his hotel, but he doesn’t open it until the door is locked behind him. There are only a couple lines in the mail, something about missing him but still having fun that he glazes over with how quickly he’s opening the five files attached. Five pictures.</p><p>In none of them can their faces be seen, but Steve could recognize them from back in bad lighting and drunk. In the first one, Bucky is sitting on a bed —one Steve doesn’t recognize— on dark blue cover, sheet pooled around his hips. He’s showing his back, supporting himself on in his hand, showing off the tight muscles over his back. His hair is tied in a messy bun, a couple strand falling over his neck and shoulders. The light is soft, in shade of soft yellow and almost blue, poring over his figure.</p><p>The second is a shot of a knee, very close, so close everything else is blurry. But not enough to not discern the lines of a torso in the background, of abs drawn tight and a head thrown back. It’s subtle, you have to look hard to see it and it’s beautiful. The body looks taught like a bow string, muscles straining against pressure.</p><p>The third one show’s a hand —Sam’s— holding onto a wrist, the thumb is sinking into the supple flesh, and the white wall under is a stark contrast to the rich skins and soft curves of bodies. Steve swallows hard and trails his eyes over the veins and tendons pushing against skins.</p><p>The fourth, Sam must have had his tripod with him because two figures are standing behind what looks like frosted glass, it’s in the bathroom, Steve can see the shadow of a shower head in the right corner. Behind the glass, two bodies are holding onto each other, deformed by the glass and yet the picture they make is clear as crystal. The one of the left —Bucky, his hair is down now— has his head thrown back as Sam must be kissing his throat, and there’s one hand holding above him on the wall while the other rest against Sam’s back, and their legs are entangled and it reminds Steve of that morning after Scudo's 2017 spring show, the first one Sam officially worked on, when he woke up alone only to find them in the bathroom. They hadn’t even made it to the shower, they had stayed on the wall, making out like teenager at a high school party. Upon seeing him, Sam had smiled and said they were waiting for him. He can remember it all, and this picture may be an artistic recreation of that moment —the bathroom at the time didn’t have that warm, solid light pouring over them that let the bodies show so well through the glass, it was stark whites and cold tiles— but it doesn’t take away from the warmth he feels pooling in his guts him when he sees it.</p><p>The last one is probably the best. No, it is the best one. Bucky's and Sam’s hips are both naked, both flushed side to side, and they take up the entire picture. In the photos there’s enough skin to show their iliac crests, some of their pubic hair, the tight curls that Sam has and the carefully shaved triangle of hair Bucky keeps for his shootings. Steve think he can almost see the swell of Sam’s dick in it, but it might be wishful thinking. Bucky’s skin is a lovely shade of pink while there’s some sweat running down Sam’s hip, and god he loves them so much.</p><p>It's very Safe For Work while being totally Not Safe For Work and toeing the indecent line. Steve loves Sam’s eyes for that kind of things.</p><p>‘<i>Free to call</i>’ he sent them as he kicks off his shoes and jacket, eyes still stuck on the pictures, and when he gets their call from Skype, he jumps on his bed.</p><p>“I miss you.” He says on a breath followed by, “I love you” and “You’re both the worst.”</p><p>Sam snickers while Bucky winks and what follows is a very nice hour on call.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>
  <strong><br/>
<span class="big">Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers Seen at JB Barnes latest New York Fashion Week runaway Sitting Together. </span><br/>
</strong>
</p><p>
  <i>Yesterday, at the New York Fashion Week during the Saint Laurent runaway, Brooklyn model James Barnes made an impromptu appearance wearing Hedi Slimane’s creations and not Scudo’s, as he usually would. But he wasn’t alone. Sitting in the front row, Brooklyn designer Steve Roger along with Harlem photograph Sam Wilson were seen sitting close to each other, speaking to each other and laughing. For the few readers who didn’t read any news about them, Barnes, Rogers and Wilson are in the middle of a possible cheating story, or love triangle. It seems like Wilson and Rogers are quite close, but we couldn’t get Barnes opinion on their appearance yesterday.</i>
</p><p>Comment left by <ins>JanetheCane</ins> on <i>Jun. 16</i> at <i>3;41pm</i><br/>
Guys. JB stopped in front of them and winked. Winked at them and he was smiling. It’s not a love triangle or whatever, they’re just messing with us. Or maybe they’re together, but there’s no bad feeling between them, obviously. Steve and Sam both congratulated him on their instagram. Stop making it bigger than it is.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~*~*~</p>
</div><p>It’s been almost 4 months since they started this thing, and it’s getting tiring. They love the planning, but it’s taxing, and Steve has to work on the promotion for the next collection now, Sam is tired of escaping cameras in the street and questions form people in the VA, and <i>@JBBarnes</i> is flooded in message both over Instagram and Twitter.</p><p>It has to stop.</p><p>They haven’t really talked about it. Not really. Sam only mentioned being tired, and Steve needs to work, and now that the hype died down it’s not as fun. It just takes lots of planning for less and less public reaction. But that’s about the extent their discussion went.</p><p>So instead of scheming another outing, Steve simply says they’re going out to eat today, press be damned, and they’re gonna have fun with that.</p><p>And they do have fun. In the restaurant James snuggles against Sam who is the warmest of the three of them -there’s a reason he keeps getting sandwich between them every night even though he almost suffocate every night- and Steve kisses Sam’s hand shamelessly as their waitress come with the receipt, and the three of them say I love you, out loud, in public, and they smile about it. After Bucky’s heart skips a beat but when doesn’t it? It’s hard to be proud, but not so hard with Steve and Sam by his side.</p><p>And they decide to walk for a bit instead of going home, the night’s young, the air warm and they’re happy. Sam catches both of their hand and leads them straight ahead to nowhere in particular, almost on automatic.</p><p>“Sam, there’s a pap around the corner.” Bucky mumbles.</p><p>“Big camera too.” Steve adds. Sam just grins and tugs them under a tree to shade them from the neon street lights.</p><p>“I,” He says, and press a kiss on Steve’s lips. “Don’t,” he drops his lips to his chin before turning to Bucky. “Care.” And he drops another kiss on his face, just the corner of his lips, very chaste.</p><p>“You’re really committing to ruining all of our carrier, huh?” Bucky says, but he presses closer to get a second kiss with a smile in his eyes.</p><p>“Talk for yourself, my fans are loving that I managed to score two haute couture super star.” Sam listen as the both of them laughs, bright and big. His heart swells.</p><p>“I think mine are jealous they’re not you.” Bucky says, mischievous.</p><p>“To be honest, I don’t know what mine are thinking. I haven’t checked with my PR since it all started.” Steve is nuzzling Sam’s neck, and it’s nice.</p><p>“What?” Bucky chokes, like he can’t understand some people aren’t glued to their online scandal 24/7.</p><p>“They just think you’re the typical designer. Although I’ve seen one or two ‘lucky bastard’ comment on your insta.” Sam is mumbling more than anything because he’s kissing Steve again, and Bucky’s hand is warm in his.</p><p>“Should we say something?”</p><p>“Nah,” Bucky says, and that’s a surprise. “Let them use their brain for once. With enough time and pictures, they’ll add two and two together.”</p><p>“Until Renee and John bully us into making a statement.” Steve says.</p><p>“We have time until then.” Sam doesn’t want to think about it. He doesn’t want to think about the press and their public image.</p><p>“Come on.” Bucky says, laying two kisses on their cheek. “I wanna move.” And he tugs them away from the tree.</p><p>And just like that, as they see the pap scrambling to his cover again, Sam decides he really wants to see the sun sets on the Hudson, even if it’s not the ocean, and he wants his boyfriends by his side.</p><p>The night is young, the air is warm, and Sam feels like the happiest man on earth.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What? Having an idea and spending a reasonable amount of time on it and not ending up with a 12k fic? Never heard of her.</p><p>This is my first time writing a poly relationship, and I honestly think I did pretty good. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment or a kudo!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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